It’s good news for a Saint Andrews-based research and science-based teaching institution.
The Government of Canada is investing more than $525,000 in the Huntsman Marine Science Centre.
The money comes from the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and is non-repayable as part of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan.
This follows the non-repayable funding of $53,600 given by ACOA in January.
The centre is the largest year-round private employer in Saint Andrews.
Gudie Hutchings, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development said COVID-19 has deeply impacted business.
“Canada’s ocean sectors were also so hardly hit by the pandemic and we all know we must remain competitive in our ocean spaces. With the current global health, economic and environmental crisis and the challenges, Canada needs to seize opportunities to build back better and to position our ocean sectors for sustainable growth,” she said.
Executive director and CEO of the Centre Chris Bridger said the pandemic initially slowed down aquatic research activities but the biggest financial impact was felt from cancelled school trips, university field courses and lower numbers of guests to the aquarium.
He said the number of guests went from 40,000 to 14,000 in 2020 and more than $1.5 million of revenue lost during the fiscal year compared to previous years.
“The REGI funding announced today has provided necessary relief so we could maintain most of our regular staffing levels at this time which gave us the capacity to envision our recovery,” he said.
Bridger said coming up next for the centre, the website for the centre is going to be relaunched and there will be an enhancement of the brand of experiences for oceans education-related for tourism.
“Some time ago before Christmas, there was some news that our town council passed a resolution on developing some land that the Hunstman has for a potential Knowledge Park type of initiative,” he said.
Bridger said he can’t release many details yet, but the center is looking forward to getting everything done.
